Modular wall panel construction



July 1, 1969 v. J. clULLo MODULAR WALL PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. l2, 1967 FGZI FGZ FIGI G.4

INVENTOR.

VINCE/VI J. Clz 0 FIG. 5

A TT/VEY United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 52-311 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A modular wall panel with prefabricated molding assemblies adapted to form a wall suggestive of furniture work.

This invention relates to a method of paneling walls and in particular to a panel therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Panelled wood walls, particularly those made by combining panel sections with molding, have long been highly regarded for their decorative values. However, because of the high cost involved and the scarcity of skilled woodworkers, their present` day use has been restricted. Instead the less desirable and less decorative method of simply applying large sheets of plywood to the wall has been employed. Generally, the joints between the sheets are not concealed for lack of a suitable method and a substitute approach, that of showing false joints as a decorative theme, has been used. The present invention is directed to a method of building decorative Wood walls and to a wall panel that may be economically installed which gives the appearance of the carefully crafted wall of past eras.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method of paneling walls.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved wall panel.

It is another object of this invention to provide a low cost paneling method and apparatus therefor.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will, in part, `become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms an integral part thereof.

In the various figures of the drawing like reference characters designate like parts.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of a panel of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the panel of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a iiller strip;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the strip of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a typical wall installation.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a plywood panel preferably faced with a hardwood such as ash, walnut, etc. to provide a decorative grain. This panel would normally be made in one or more modular sizes, say 2, 3 and 4 feet. Mounted on the panel are a pair of frames 14 and 16. Typically the frames may be made of 1% molding iitted with mitered corners. Half of the width of the frame is permitted to extend over the edge of panel 10. Forming part of the system are iiller strips 18 which are cut from the same type and thickness of plywood as panel 10. Given a wall, say, of a foot width, the designer would order six two-foot sections, which would occupy a total of 12 feet, leaving a balance of 3 feet or 36 inches to be divided over n+1 filler strips Patented July 1, 1969 wherein n is the number of panels employed. Thus, in this case, each of the iiller strips would be 3-l=5+ inches The installer would be provided with six two-foot panels, seven five-inch liller strips and one six-inch strip. Actually better practice would dictate that the installer be provided with four five-inch filler strips and two six-inch end strips 18. By providing slightly larger end filler strips, the installer is enabled to trim the edge strips to lit uneven meeting walls.

After the wall is assembled, as shown in FIG. 5, abase molding 50, a chair rail 51, and a ceiling cove molding 52 are added. With the addition of the transverse members 51, 52, 53, the joints 22 between panels are substantially hidden. The panels may be mounted directly on a substrate wall or on furring strips. The iiller strips can be nailed along any of the areas later covered by members 51, 52, 53, or frames 14 or 16.

Panels 10 may be nailed along the regions covered by the members 51, S2, 53, or, if an embossed molding 14 and 16 is used, in the embossed region. In the latter instance, inishing nails would be utilized and would be practically invisible.

Thus, a panel has been provided which may be readily I prefabricated and assembled into a wall.

This prefabrication arrangement has been found economically feasible for the covering of large areas as, for example, interiors of restaurants and the like where, with a minimal field erection crew, in a matter of hours a large unfinished space can be transformed into a highly decorative establishment.

Having thus disclosed the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated, it is to be understood that various changes and modilications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A panel member comprising:

(a) a wood surfaced sheet defined by a pair of longitudinal edges and a pair of transverse edges;

(b) a rectangular molding having a pair of at bottom transverse members and a pair of flat bottom longitudinal members forming a rectangle attached to the surface of said sheet, said longitudinal members having portions thereof extending over said longitudinal edges of the surface of said sheet and said transverse members being spaced away from the transverse edges of said sheet.

2. The panel member of claim 1 having a pair of said rectangular moldings.

3. A panelled wall comprising:

(a) a plurality of the panel members of claim 1 arranged in side-by-side relationship with substantially uniform spacing between said members; and

(b) iiller strips having the same thickness as said sheet,

of like length and a width corresponding to the spacing between said panels whereby the said overhanging portion of the molding overhangs said iiller strips with flat bottom portion resting on said iiller strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,569,902 10/ 1951 Rienau 52--456 579,696 3/ 1897 Carter 52--455 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primaly Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-629 

